Results 401-420 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The 2025 budget allocation for the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is €80.861m. This funding covers the cost of the seven levels of AIM, which encompass a range of both universal and targeted supports for pre-school settings. It funds a programme of capital grants for specialised equipment, appliances, assistive technology and/or minor alterations for pre-school settings to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In September 2024, DCEDIY commenced the rollout of Equal Start, a major model of supports to ensure children experiencing disadvantage can access and meaningfully participate in early learning and childcare. 790 services have been targeted, and 728 services have completed the sign-up process thus far. Equal Start is designed to be developed and rolled out in phases. Services with the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you Deputy for your question relating to Tusla funding. A 10% increase in total overall funding, over the 2025 allocation, would cost an additional €128 million and bring Tusla funding to a level of €1,406 million In 2025, Tusla will have a total funding allocation of approximately €1,278 million from exchequer funding. This includes funding from both DCEDIY...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Annual government investment in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Aged Childcare (SAC) increased by €856m (or 340%) between 2011 (€253m) and 2024 (€1,109m). During this time, additional funding was provided to expand the ECCE programme to two full years per child, to fund the introduction of, and ongoing enhancements to, the Access and Inclusion Model and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core Funding is a grant to Early Learning and Care (ELC) and/or School Age Childcare (SAC) providers towards their operating costs. The majority of Core Funding is distributed based on a service's capacity - the opening hours, opening weeks and the age group of children for whom services are provided as well as number of places available. The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Childminding Development Grants were introduced in 2004 as part of the Childminding Initiatives, administered through the City and County Childcare Committees. The grant is designed to help childminders with the cost of safety items, equipment, play resources or minor household alterations. Until 2023, a grant of up to €1,000 was available to cover 90% of the expenditure over...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Further and Higher Education.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Health Services Staff (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9m will be allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Over the period from 2021 to 2025, the level of current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes will have increased by over 34%. The additional funding secured in Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. One of the key objectives of Core Funding is to support the sector as a whole with the introduction of direct supply-side funding, in addition to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. One of the key objectives of Core Funding is to support the sector as a whole with the introduction of direct supply-side funding, in addition to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. Data available to my Department demonstrates that, overall, early learning and childcare provision is expanding in terms of number of services opening, the number of places and hours of provision that services are offering, the numbers of staff employed and the numbers of parents...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: While I try to be helpful at all times in the parliamentary process, the Deputy will be aware that I cannot be involved in individual cases and cannot comment on same. The legislation underpinning the Payment Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - specifically provides for the explicit independence of the Chief Deciding Officer in administering the application...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (6 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am advised that my Department has no current offer for accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) or International Protection applicants (IPs) at the property to which the Deputy refers. I am further advised that while this property was appraised in the past by the Technical Working group set up for purpose of prioritising buildings to be refurbished for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (6 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare for parents. A component of the Scheme is a Sponsorship referral which makes special provision for vulnerable children. The NCS Sponsorship arrangement allows designated bodies to refer children to the Scheme where childcare is needed on child welfare, protection, family...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Capital Expenditure Programme (6 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This information is not immediately available. My Department is preparing a response and will contact the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (6 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, funded by my Department, provides universal, free pre-school to children within the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months. In a limited number of circumstances, it is possible to apply for an exemption to the upper age limit of 5 years 6 months where a child has special/additional needs. An exemption has...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (5 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Budgets (5 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The support my department provides for the development of new play and recreation facilities for children and young people is through the annual Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation. Established in 2013, this grant scheme operates through and with Local Authorities. The scheme also funds the refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities and the incorporation of natural play...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Budgets (5 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since 2021, funding of €450,000 per year has been made available to Local Authorities through the Capital Grant scheme for Play and Recreation. I anticipate that Capital Grant funding for this purpose will be available again in 2025, and that a call for applications will issue in January. Applications must be made through the relevant Local Authority Play and Recreation...